Month: January 2010

It's been a very cold Winter so far... But at least it's warm inside!

Back to my old tricks and late as heck again...here we go... From November 2009: Finishing treating the untreated oak stairs and banisters is proving a real pain - the banisters along the landing have all been whitened & waxed, but the stairs themselves along with the banisters running down the stairs still need finishing, they've been whitened but not waxed. The problem is getting the timing right (never my strong point) and being organised enough to be able to wax the stairs as I'm leaving and not returning at least overnight - haven't managed that yet. Well I managed…

For anyone with an interest in building, conversion or renovation, or in just getting your hands dirty, Michael Pollans 'A Place of My Own' is a great opportunity for some self reflection through Pollans written account of his own experiences in constructing 'a room of  [his] own making'.   The book is an insightful, introspective diary of experiences in building a writing hut (a shed with a desk in it) in the woods behind the New England home of the author. Pollans style is chatty and assured. His journey from hopeless sub-DIYer to trainee craftsman gives hope to us all,…

I occasionally 'page' through the ecologist website and came this article that piqued my interest: We need a citizens' housing revolution Whilst a little short on content the sentiment - that the development of new housing can be partially entrusted to self-builders who should be 'helped to create vital, sustainable communities' - is one that I totally agree with. As ever, the public sector seem to be one of the main barriers to this (at least according to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation) - the empowered enablers acting to disable the self-builder and retain control.

I've never known such a long, cold period in Wales... The snows been here so long that we're getting quite bored with in... Roll on spring-time.

With my current preoccupation with firewood and the current bout of ice, snow and freezing temperatures making me long for warm weather a favourite quote of mine comes to mind: ...a mosaic of cut log ends that wall the whole of the south-facing end. The summer sun will dry out the end grain, drawing out the sap until the wood is pure energy for the fire. Roger Deakin's Wildwood: A Journey Through Trees I've just ordered 120 silver birch and hazel trees from the Woodland trust, far from the best trees for firewood but two of my favourites. I'll plant…